Parents criticize Holy Cross plan for schools

The cold temperature did little to temper the passionate, sometimes heated rhetoric as the parents of children enrolled at St. Joseph, St. Peter and St. Louis Catholic schools met Wednesday night at St. Joseph to voice their concerns about Holy Cross Academy's Transition for Growth plan.

The cold temperature did little to temper the passionate, sometimes heated rhetoric as the parents of children enrolled at St. Joseph, St. Peter and St. Louis Catholic schools met Wednesday night at St. Joseph to voice their concerns about Holy Cross Academy's Transition for Growth plan.

The initiative, which was announced last week, will close St. Joseph, at 126 Columbus Ave. NW, at the end of the school year and convert St. Peter, in downtown Canton, and St. Louis, in Louisville, into Family Preschool Centers. Holy Cross Academy's remaining eight campuses will stay open.

"This isn't my decision, this isn't the board's decision, or the bishop's decision," said Msgr. Lewis Gaetano, Holy Cross Academy president. "It's a demographic reality and financial reality in order for Catholic education not only to survive, but thrive. ... It's heart-rending to look at the statistics."

Nearly 100 people turned out for the first of several meetings to be led by Gaetano and Rosemary Diamond, the initiative's transition specialist.

"The hardest part is, the three schools are the oldest schools, with the most history," Diamond said. "Their parents and grandparents went here. It's like a death in the family."

Those who spoke expressed the same desire: They want a Catholic school to remain in central Canton.

"I'd like to address you, but I also want to listen to you," Gaetano told the group. "But I must first tell you the purpose of the meeting. It's not about renegotiating the plan."

DWINDLING NUMBERS

Gaetano shared several statistics, including double-digit declines in births and school-age children projected over the next five years in Canton and some adjoining townships.

Shrinking, aging city parishes and declining school enrollment, Gaetano said, don't make it feasible to maintain the three schools, adding that the only areas experiencing growth are Jackson and Lake townships.

Gaetano said Holy Cross' 11 campuses have a capacity of 3,175 students, but have only 1,831 students, and that unlike the days when nuns taught for $40 a month, personnel costs consume 83 percent of the budget.

But many in the audience accused Gaetano and the Holy Cross board of favoring suburban campuses at the expense of Canton. Several said they will not transfer their children to another Holy Cross campus.

"I appreciate the numbers, but I'd like to offer a more numbers," said Anne Bing, who said she has three children at St. Peter's. "How many kids benefit from a centrally-located school? It's like Catholic education is only for suburban kids. I don't think (officials) are listening and seeing the faith here. We feel like we're being completely left out."

FAMILY FEELING

"The biggest concern, and I think I speak for a lot of people, is how it was rolled out and presented," said St. Joseph parent Dennis Vargo. "You're not going to grow Catholic education in central Canton by closing down three schools. A lot of parents won't send their kids to transitioned schools."

Page 2 of 2 - Sarah Stancil said she and her husband bought a home two blocks from the church just so their daughter could attend St. Joseph School, adding that parents weren't given a chance to raise funds or recruit more students to the school.

"You're ripping a family apart,' said Andrea Hannan, who said she was planning to send her future children to St. Joseph. She's getting married in April.

Gaetano said there's no motivation other than saving local Catholic education.

"If we could keep all the schools open, we would," he said. "We'd build schools."

Asked if the board considered consolidation, Gaetano replied, "I believe the board looked at all possible alternatives."

John Blakeney, a St. Joseph's parishioner and Holy Cross board member, said, "The plan is 'Transitioning for Growth,' which means we have to somehow gather our resources. The problem's not just here. Church attendance and student enrollment is sliding everywhere."

FLICKER OF HOPE

Ty Jovingo and his wife, Melissa, said they have spent a total of 18 years shuttling their three kids to St. Joseph from Massillon.

"You need to go back to your board and come up with a Plan B," he told Gaetano and Blakeney to applause from the audience, "because we're not accepting Plan A."

Kathie Miller, a longtime teacher at St. Joseph, asked that Holy Cross board members consider allowing Canton to try to fill one building.

"You have a golden opportunity to prove to people in the diocese that 'we do listen and we're open to change,' " she said. "I implore you, Monsignor, please give these people a flicker of hope."

Blakeney said he'd be willing to attend a meeting to discuss the possibility, but warned, "We're not trying to patch things for a year. The purpose of 'Transitioning for Growth' is to consolidate, conserve and reserve."

Samuel Sliman, the city's Civil Service administrator, presented a letter to Gaetano from Mayor William J Healy II, urging Holy Cross to reconsider.

"St. Joan, St. Michael and OLOP (Our Lady of Peace) are not 'downtown' parishes," he said. "We believe St. Joe's has a unique opportunity. It has a core of teachers and volunteers to really engender growth."